Update: Rowley suspect still at large

Monday

Jun 9, 2014 at 11:42 AMJun 9, 2014 at 5:40 PM

By Dan Mac AlpineIspwich@wickedlocal.com

Maybe it was an attempted armed robbery. Maybe it wasnít. Maybe it was a threat. Maybe it wasnít. Rowley Police arenít sure.Rowley Police Detective Lt. Joe Gamache called the incident "very strange."Whatever it was, Rowley police are still seeking a suspect in a situation that played out at 9:15 Monday morning, June 9, at Spud's restaurant, Route 1, Rowley.Police describe the suspect as a male, 5 feet 10 inches tall, approximately 180 lbs., wearing dark clothing and he was wearing a dark ski or SCUBA mask during the incident."There were no threats made. He didnít hurt anyone. He didnít say why he was there. And he left the area," said Gamache.The suspect approached a Spudís employee working the restaurantís curbside window and asked to speak to the manager. The employee thought the suspect might have motioned to his right pants pocket, where the employee thought he might have seen a handgun."He said, ĎYouíre not gonna get hurt,í" said Gamache.The employee went into the restaurant and told the manager who called 911.Rowley police had a unit at the Rowley Market Basket Plaza next door to Spudís and police responded almost immediately to the call.Still the suspect melted away, possibly leaving in a two-toned blue vehicle ó the Spudís employee couldnít say if the vehicle was a car or a pickup truck."Weíre checking surveillance cameras in the area," said Gamache. "You canít take any chances."